


Shut Up and Dance!

by firegrilled



Series: Legacy Side Pieces [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Disease au, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Humor, M/M, Pining, Slow Build, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-30
Updated: 2015-06-30
Packaged: 2018-04-07 00:30:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4242621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firegrilled/pseuds/firegrilled
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dances were not his cup of tea, and Saturday evenings were best with a book, but Armin doesn't know why he agrees to go to a Homecoming dance. Maybe its a chance to blow off some steam, a chance to pretend he wasn't still crushing on his childhood friend, or maybe it was a chance to see if he could help said friend find himself again. It definitely was not because he wanted a chance to dance with Eren Jaeger, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shut Up and Dance!

**Author's Note:**

> _Oh don't you dare look back._  
>  Just keep your eyes on me."  
> I said, "You're holding back, "  
> She said, "Shut up and dance with me!"  
> This woman is my destiny  
> She said, "Ooh-ooh-hoo,  
> Shut up and dance with me. 
> 
> -Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon
> 
> I also recommend playing the song around the time they actually start dancing, and listening to anything by Walk the Moon during the read. It totally adds to the experience.
> 
> This is the Eremin side part in chapter 11 of Legacy, so its canon compliant as well as full of some important bits of plot that haven't come out yet. Even if you haven't read the main story, you can still enjoy this stand alone bit, I promise.

Why did he agree to this in the first place? It was not his dance. It was not how he spent Saturday evenings. And it certainly was not because he had an agenda with Annie Leonhardt.

Regardless of his reasoning for accepting her invitation to her sorority’s Homecoming dance, Armin had agreed and now needed to figure out what to do. Maybe it was because it was the first time anyone had ever asked him to a dance, after all high school was always about the guys asking the girls. Even if it was Annie and Armin knew which team she had a vested interest in, it was still a nice change of pace since he was not making any progress with his love life. Not that he was making any overt attempts at furthering it.

His concerns for his choice sank in the abyss of his mind when the night arrived and Armin found himself getting prepared for the evening at some plot of land Annie mentioned in passing. His roommates had all left earlier to grab food and celebrate beforehand, none knowing Armin would even be appearing tonight. Sure he could’ve told them, but Connie and Eren were hardly around the past week and explaining that he was going as Annie’s date would only increase the rift between him and Eren that had grown since the incident involving his best friend ditching him to prepare for this dance.

Jean was one person Armin could have told, but it never popped up in conversation and Armin still had yet to confide anything in his new roommate and coworker, not that their friendship was a deep one. Ever since they attended the same interview for the library job, and both got hired for said job, they had slowly but steadily repaired their relationship after the hell that was high school. Heck, Jean had started confiding in him now meaning that a lot had changed during their freshman year of college. Maybe soon Armin could return the favor, but that opportunity had yet to present itself.

“We should get him a buddy, shouldn’t we, Wesley?” Armin asked a stuffed platypus chilling on his impeccably made bed. The platypus’ reflection stared at Armin in the mirror with its big beady eyes and tiny but ever-present smile. It was surrounded by a bunch of other animals that Armin always kicked off his bed when he slept, but with a clean floor he never seemed to mind.

Taking the silence as a yes, Armin thought about the possibilities for Jean, since Eren received a seahorse and Connie got a stuffed monkey. Maybe a horse just to harken back to their school days, but that probably would not go over so well. He had to keep thinking about it.

A tiny alarm on his phone signaled that Annie would be arriving soon, so Armin quickly buttoned the rest of his white button down shirt that hung loosely around his thin arms. Tucking the shirt into his khaki pants, he quickly opened his squeaky closet provided by the university and pushed some wrinkled shirts aside to find his collection of bowties lying on the ground of the wardrobe. Quickly recalling the dress Annie had briefly described to him that she was wearing, he picked his favorite light azure bowtie, and skillfully tied it around his neck, like an exciting Christmas present ready to be opened.

Knocking echoed around the empty dorm, bringing Armin from his room. He opened the door fully expecting to find his date on the other side, and he was not disappointed. Annie was in an ice blue dress that hugged her top and waist just enough to give her a slight hour glass shape. Armin motioned for her to come in, taking note of the sparkles that shimmered under the numerous lights of the dorm. It was Disney-like with her hair pulled back into a pony tail and pinned back to her head.

“Looking beautiful,” He commented as he locked the door behind her.

“You’re not too bad yourself,” Annie replied, maintaining her stoic expression yet there was some warmth to her compliment.

Armin walked to his room and Annie followed. He stood in front of the mirror, feeling as though something was awry. “What kind of jacket should I wear?”

“Something to highlight the bowtie. Dark blue maybe?” Annie suggested. Armin shook his head slightly as he pulled out a navy jacket. Not his usual choice but Annie was known for her love of the color blue so he should not have been surprised. “By the way, you might be one of the only guys with a bowtie there. Do you have any other options?”

“Even if I did, I think I like this too much,” Armin explained, emphasizing his point by tightening the cloth. “Dad only gives me these for Christmas since he refuses to wear actual ties.”

“You’re still missing something,” Annie spoke, unsure of what that _something_ was.

“Ponytails are your thing, right?” 

“Amongst other things, yeah. Why?”

“I think I know what I’m missing then.”

Armin pulled out a blue ribbon and pulled his hair back, tying it off with a loose bow. Annie placed her hand in front of her mouth, judging the choice of cloth.

“Drop the jacket and keep the bow. It’s supposed to be warm tonight.” 

Taking her advice, Armin gladly removed the coat and hung it in his rickety wardrobe. The door creaked shut as he checked for any stray hairs in his mirror. 

“If I didn’t know you, I’d say you were a girl,” Annie stated as if that was not obvious to her astute friend.

“Then you’ll enjoy the evening.” Armin noted. 

Satisfied with his work, he turned to face his date. Glancing in the mirror and fixing her hair, Annie inspected herself for flaws known only to her before facing Armin.

“You know me all too well. Such a shame you have a penis,” Annie bemoaned jokingly.

“And it’s not going anywhere,” he teased. His date shrugged her shoulders as they left the dorm to find the ride he was promised.

\---

When he was promised a ride, Armin did not have too high of expectations of the vehicle, but even he was surprised by the rusted van that appeared before Stohess hall. Annie’s permanent scowl remained as the door opened to reveal an almost full van. Thankfully the two seats between the front seats and the back seats remained free. In the driving position was the freckled girl whose lap Armin sat in the night of the infamous MarioKart arrests. Ymir was her name if he remembered correctly. In the other front seat was Bertholdt and the back was full of strangers.

“Thanks for the ride, Ymir,” Annie offered as she buckled herself in.

“No problem, Elsa.” Ymir nonchalantly quipped. Annie glared into the rearview mirror, but Ymir only shrugged. “Just sayin’.”

“It’s going to be one of those nights.” Annie mumbled to herself as she folded her arms over her chest.

“Just get used to it before we get there.” Armin advised. Taking her friends suggestion, Annie exhaled loudly and seemingly resigned herself to her fate.

“Is that Armin?” Ymir inquired as she readjusted the mirror, gently driving the car towards the exit. He nodded and Ymir smiled. “You look adorable with your bowtie and all. I thought you were a chick for a second.”

“Better get used to it before we arrive.” Annie repeated his earlier idea. Now it was Armin’s turn to sigh, missing Bertholdt’s apologetic look in the side mirror. Ymir snickered loudly as she drove them to the dance on her land, lacking any regard for the safety of the other drivers or her passengers as she barreled down the highway.

\---

Despite his early reservations, the dance proved to be more entertaining and fun than Armin had anticipated. It began with everyone arriving slowly, numerous introductions to girls and guys Armin had never met nor likely would meet again, and Ymir eventually shouting the rules, or lack thereof, to crowd of dancers once the parking lot seemed to have filled out.

Feeling like a fish out of water in more ways than one, Armin stuck nearby Annie and barely participated in the conversations she got dragged into. She seemed almost as disinterested in mingling with her sisters as Armin was. It wasn’t until someone caught her eye that she livened up some more.

“Be right back, Armin,” Annie whispered to him before she walked away, abandoning him to a group of sorority girls who barely acknowledged his presence. They even closed him off from the social circle by filling Annie’s recently vacated spot with a short bubbly blonde girl.

As quick as she disappeared, Annie reappeared with Mikasa. She was dressed in a lovely crimson dress that Armin recognized as her high school Homecoming dress. Neither of them really could afford having multiple dresses or suits, but the ones they held were beautiful and sentimental. The strapless red dress flowed down to her knees before stopping in the front and continuing to flow to the ground behind her.

“Hey ‘Kasa,” Armin extended a hand, but she merely ignored it and brought him into a tight but brief hug.

“Looking good, Arm,” Mikasa complimented, her eyes glancing up and down his figure. “You can finally pull your hair back?”

“I’ve been able to for a while, just don’t do it often,” he confessed.

“Makes you look smarter, if that’s even possible.”

“Thanks,” Armin replied. He rubbed the back of his neck absentmindedly before coming to an abrupt realization. “Where’s Jean?”

“I stole her from him. ‘Girl talk’ always gets him to leave for a while,” Annie informed him.

“Fair enough.”

“Why aren’t you with him and Eren? Both are getting beer at the food table.”

“Maybe later.”

“You guys still haven’t talked about _it_ , have you?” Mikasa guessed, narrowing her eyes onto her childhood friend.

“…No.” Armin admitted, albeit reluctantly. He stared at the ground around their feet rather than meet Miaksa’s eyes.

“You’re gonna have to tell him why you’re pissed at him. He isn’t psychic,” she elaborated further, trying to appeal to Armin’s sense of reason. Not that he was particularly interested in it.

He let out a quiet sigh, daring to meet her gaze. “He already knows why I’m pissed. He won’t apologize.”

“I thought he already said he was sorry about skipping out on your tutoring session to help with _this_.” Annie gestured to the event around her.

“He did, but that’s not why I’m angry. He always does this to me. I’m _always_ his last priority and this time it might’ve cost me my chance to work with Dr. Ackerman.”

“I’m sure Levi understands, since it was for his class. But you gotta explain to Eren why you’re still angry. He knows something is up, but he can’t guess.” Mikasa crossed her arms over her chest, glancing momentarily back in the direction of the tables. “And you’ll need to do it tonight. He’s not going to dance, he’ll drink more beer, and then get angrier until he snaps at someone. Or when Jean presses his buttons. He’ll need you.”

“Why did he even come if he can’t dance?” Annie wondered.

“He can dance, he’s just afraid to,” Armin quickly clarified, Mikasa nodding along. Annie shrugged her shoulders before pointing Armin towards the food.

“You’re going to need some beer if you’re going to help Eren. Now go get prepared before your boyfriend finds him first and gets punched in the face.”

“Jean is Mikasa’s boyfriend. You’re never going to let me live down passing out on him.” Armin groaned, his face tinting pink. Mikasa laughed at his embarrassment and Annie pushed him towards the drinks.

“I have a picture that shows otherwise. And lots of cuddling was involved.” Annie said, her implications drawing her lips into a tight smile. Having enough of getting flustered, Armin gave up and walked towards the alcohol to drown his shame and find another excuse for why he was becoming redder than the autumn leaves blowing in the trees surrounding the field.

\---

After orbiting the drinks table until he was sufficiently intoxicated, Armin retreated to his date when the music picked up and he found himself nodding along to the beat. Annie gladly offered her hand to him when he asked to go to the dancing field.

The songs varied in beat but proceeded in an order that flowed from energetic songs to milder songs and then a few slow songs before suddenly picking up pace once again. Bertholdt was doing a marvelous job of keeping the music in tune with everyone’s moods. 

Armin often found himself bouncing around like a toddler on sugar when techno or dubstep matched his inner beat, while Annie chose to be more restrained but seemed amused by his actions. Early 2000’s songs brought back nostalgia of high school and dancers to the field, having the effect of bringing the couples close together. Here they repeated what they learned in high school, hands on the shoulders and hips, but enough room to squeeze an adult between them in case the principal appeared out of the bushes and needed to check the distance between them.

The Goo Goo Dolls had the pair dancing slowly together, but Armin was daring enough to close the distance from earlier so they were dancing chest to chest. However neither looked at at each other, rather they were staring over each other’s shoulders.

Annie’s gaze was locked on a nearby couple, dancing forehead to forehead. Every deep breath Annie took made Armin’s heart skip a beat and it climbed higher in his throat, understanding well why she was sighing so much. While she could keep an impressively stoic façade from the people around her, music had a way of unwinding people and letting their emotions come out in mysterious ways. Dancing was not the source of her deep and earthy breaths, but the whirling red dress that spun in circles like the wind clearly was the focus of Annie’s forlorn icy orbs.

On the other hand, Armin was focused on the person sitting under a nearby tree, whose dimly lit face told a story of a thousand emotions. One part anger, with a hint jealousy, and a cup of frustration set to simmer for several hours, occasionally adding beer to cool the temperature add some edge to the taste. The recipe for the storm of feelings brewing behind Eren’s brooding figure. He looked positively radiant in the setting sunlight, or maybe he was glowing from the emotional buildup.

Not that Armin could blame him, given the situation.

Like all good things the song came to an end, providing both the much needed excuse to conclude their dance and pull their attention away from their distractions. Both embraced each other, quick but brief and strong.

“Thanks for agreeing to come with me tonight,” Annie voiced, grateful but bittersweet. She took Armin’s hand and lead them away from the field to recover their breath.

“I’m having a good time. I’m surprised you didn’t ask Eren though since he was going to be here anyways,” Armin spoke as he pulled the ribbon out of his hair and let it fall back into its normal place.

“And step into your territory? No thanks.”

“He’s not my territory.”

Annie paused a moment to turn and face her date with an incredulous look. “You live with him, you cook for him, you tutor him, you take care of him, and he comes to you first when he needs help. Not me, not Mikasa, definitely not Jean, but you. He’s yours in more ways than either of you two care to admit.”

“It’s no secret he’s liked you since elementary school. He’s not interested in guys, let alone me,” Armin reminded her, grabbing a red cup to fill with punch.

“And it’s no secret where my interests are either. I asked you because we both needed a good evening to distract ourselves.”

“And I’m infinitely grateful for a chance to go out and pretend I don’t have a care in the world.”

“Mikasa is right though.”

Armin stopped sipping from his drink and his eyes flickered over to Annie, who calmly filled her cup. A few quiet moments passed before he decided to continue the conversation.

“That I need to find someone besides my stuffed animals?”

“No. You two need to talk.”

“And you need to do the same with her. She’s still dating Jean,” Armin curtly repeated back. His expression hardened and suddenly became serious. “You’re the only one I trust enough to talk about Eren to, but I can’t defend you openly flirting with _someone’s girlfriend_ while they’re still dating. There’s a big difference between my unrequited love and you trying to steal someone.”

“It isn’t stealing if you can just convince Jean to go back to liking dick since that’s all him and Eren ever shout to each other, and leave Mikasa to me.”

“There’s so much wrong with what you just said,” Armin sighed in exasperation, clearly not happy with the joke.

“Yes, but I can dream. And sometimes dreams come true…” Annie trailed off as a third person joined their group. 

Mikasa tapped Annie on the shoulder to grab her attention. “Interested in a dance? Jean needs some time to get his energy back. Can you keep an eye on him and Eren, Armin?”

There was no time for a response before the girls ran off towards the field of music, Annie dropping her cup onto the ground as they prepared for the next round of dancing, ignorant of the annoyed boy they left behind.

“It’s what I do every day,” Armin muttered as threw his hands in the air. He chugged the rest of his punch, crunching his cup when he gazed at the tree Eren was moping at earlier. His best friend was already at eye level with Jean.

Sensing where their conversation was probably heading, he power walked towards his roommates and arrived just in time to find Eren gasping Jean by his collar, the latter clearly amused by the situation.

“If you didn’t what? Didn’t need to grow a pair?” Jean taunted. Eren practically snarled at him but Armin placed his hand gently on Eren’s clenched fist.

“Enough, Eren. Put him down,” Armin calmly directed his friend. Eren’s temper faded quickly as Armin removed Eren’s hand from Jean. 

“Arm, what are you doing here?” Eren questioned, his voice filled with confusion more than frustration.

“I’m Annie’s date, but she’s a bit busy right now,” Armin gestured to the dancing girls, noting the brief look of bewilderment and probably betrayal that flashed across Eren’s face. “Both of you need to stop being childish and try not to fight.”

“Whatever,” Jean brushed off Armin’s concern by stepping on a leaf, looking rather disappointed when it squished under his shoe.

“Since you two aren’t willing to talk, mind if I chat with him? In private,” Armin requested. Jean nodded and left the two alone, opting to go grab more punch.

Finally having some alone time, Armin stared at Eren and waited for him to start. His liquid confidence seemed to melt away under the fog of silence that clouded around them. Understanding that his friend would not be the one to engage a conversation, Armin decided to cut through the haze with a neutral topic to get the words going. “Jean encouraging you to dance?”

“No, he’s being an ass.”

Eren crossed his arms. Armin tilted his head and waited for Eren to continue.

“How so?”

“Called me a coward for not dancing.”

“So he was trying to get you to dance.”

“No! Maybe. I don’t know.”

“Why aren’t you dancing? There are plenty of people here and I’m sure some girls have asked you,” Armin predicted. Sensing that some liquid persuasion might be in order, he motioned for Eren to follow and guided him towards the beer cooler. Alcohol always loosened his best friend’s lips when he seemed to hit a wall.

“Sure some have, but you know _why_ I can’t dance,” Eren argued, not that Armin believed him for a minute.

Armin reached into the cooler and grabbed two beers, passing one to Eren. Jean hung around the edge of the table, pretending that he wasn’t eavesdropping, probably thinking that Armin would not notice him but that was a terrible assumption. Knowing that the conversation was going into territory Eren did not want others to know about, Armin opted to find a quieter place. “Nonsense, come with me.”

He grabbed Eren by the arm and dragged him towards the woods where he saw some people trying to sneak off earlier to probably do more intimate or illegal things. Ymir boasted about the variety of cool places around her land during the car ride to the field, and the one that caught Armin’s interest was the pond. While Eren rambled about his fears and reservations, Armin nodded along as he navigated the dark woods as best he could until they found a clearing. Inside Armin saw the reflection on the moon on the still water and knew he found his place.

“-and she called me an ass. Arm, ya listening?” Eren questioned, finally noticing they stopped moving.

“Honestly, I couldn’t hear you over the music,” Armin lied, his focus lying elsewhere. “But I’m here to show you that you are able to dance.”

“What? There’s no way. With my leg I can’t!” Eren complained.

_Bullshit, Eren._

“That’s not true,” Armin shot his friend a less than impressed look, effectively quieting Eren. Normally he exuded patience and a quiet calm when dealing with people’s anger, but he had a different relationship with his close childhood friend. “We both know that you’re athletic enough and have enough skill that your _handicap_ won’t stop you from dancing. You’re just afraid.”

“Don’t you start calling me a coward too.”

_Harsh, but not exactly false._

“Not a coward, just unwilling to try.”

“So a coward. Look, I don’t know why you brought me here but let’s go back. You gotta dance with Annie after all and-”

_And there’s the excuse._

“You’re jealous,” Armin concluded, interrupting his friend’s ramblings.

“What?”

_Nailed it._

“I saw you staring at us when we were dancing earlier.”

“No I wasn’t!”

_Stone cold lie._

“Don’t lie, Eren. It’s hard enough seeing you give up before you try, but don’t add lying to the list tonight.”

“Why did you bring me here? Just to call me a lair, coward, and whatever else just because you’re pissed at me?” Eren’s eye darkened, an expression normally reserved for Jean and Connie after he takes Eren’s chips. “You haven’t said much to me for a week and now you start. Why?”

_To find the real you._

Gauging that the conversation was about to head into more serious territory, Armin dropped his smile and prepared himself. The remnants of his calm demeanor crumbled under the vicious accusation, and Armin turned on his heels to make direct eye contact with Eren. Immediately Eren dropped his gaze to the grass, understanding he just opened a can of worms that he had no control over and could only weather what was about to come.

“Because you looked sad, and I can’t stand it when you look sad,” Armin began, leading Eren to become tightlipped. “Yes I’m mad about you ditching me and not caring that you might’ve cost me an internship, but I’m more worried that you look so unhappy tonight.”

_And now I’m the liar._

“Cost you an internship? What are you talking about?” Eren asked, genuinely puzzled by the information Armin just explained to him.

“That presentation I missed was an important talk and Levi pulled some strings for me to attend, but instead I wanted to help you. I’m trying to work in his lab and that might’ve helped me get the position.” Armin elaborated as remnants of his anger swirled around his brain. The idea of it all still frustrated him, but disappointment and alcohol dulled the sting he felt.

“I thought it was just another dumb talk,” Eren explained. “I didn’t know you were specially invited. Hell, Kirschtein got in so I thought anyone could go.” Eren slowly put his face in his palms.

“His dad has arguably the most prestigious lab dealing with Titan so of course Jean can do whatever he wants. I’m never that lucky.”

“Shit, I really didn’t know.”

_Because you blinded yourself to those around you._

“It still doesn’t excuse the fact you keep ditching me for random stuff, but that’s something I want to talk about when we’re sober. Right now we’re getting you to dance,” Armin returned the conversation back to the original topic.

He and Eren walked slowly around the lake, taking in the dark blue surface that reflected the moon perfectly, only rippling when a bug landed on the surface of the water. They stopped when they reached a tree, tiny compared to its brethren in the woods, but still big enough that both could climb it and get a nice view of the land. The white bark stood out against the dusk and Armin found himself leaning on it for support as they peered over the lake, silently admiring the colorful leaves that sprouted from each branch.

“How did you know about this place?” Eren wondered as he smiled towards the lake.

“I didn’t. Just followed the path. I know it’s not a beach, but it’s still pretty,” Armin admitted. He observed Eren as he stiffened at the mention of beaches but he continued anyways. “No one can find us here, so let’s show you that you can dance.”

“But-”

“But nothing!” Armin refused to allow the idea of Eren giving up enter his mind. He pulled out his white phone and placed it on a branch of the tree that could support it without dropping the expensive smartphone. Pressing shuffle on the device, he skipped a few songs until a slow one began playing. “This is just like high school. Grab my shoulders and just sway, not much movement required.”

Eren did as he was told and grabbed his friend’s shoulders. They swayed in silence as the song continued, the air becoming thicker as the quiet dragged on. While Eren’s touch was delicate and light, Armin maintained a firm grasp on Eren so he could not escape. Like earlier Armin tried to make eye contact with Eren, but his friend continuously stared at his feet and never once bothered to look up and face his dance partner. 

Unlike with Annie, where the bittersweet melody was a sad reminder of his situation, this music only served to remind Armin of what he wanted but could not have. Everything was awkward, rigid, unnatural, and not indicative of the relationship he had developed with his close friend. Where the song beckoned nearness and warmth, Armin was kept at a distance by Eren’s shaking arms, and even further by the symbolic crevice that formed in the previous week. The intoxicating heat that Eren provided was replaced by a cold stare, not even directed at Armin’s face. They only got halfway through the song before Eren pushed Armin away and threw his hands in the air.

“I can’t! It’s so weird and doesn’t feel right,” Eren spoke the obvious as he ran his hands through his hair.

“You were doing it all correctly. That’s all you have to do if you dance with Annie,” Armin explained, ignoring the painfully obvious truth. “Just try to be more fluid and actually make eye contact with her.”

Eren shook his head as he thought about it. “No. I’m stiff and rough and it won’t be enough for someone like her.”

“Quit putting her on a pedestal! She likes to sway and she does her own weird jumping stuff to. We’re not expert dancers,” Armin laughed at the thought when suddenly a fast song started playing.

_“Oh don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me!”_

Armin straightened up as the lyrics started playing and he flashed a wicked grin towards Eren, his mood suddenly changing. He started clapping in beat with the song and slowly going up and down on his heels. 

“What are you doing?” Eren asked, slowly realizing that he recognized the tune.

“Shut up and dance with me!” Armin shouted at the same time the line came out with the song. 

He punched Eren lightly on the shoulder and grabbed one of his hands. He pushed and pulled Eren’s hand back and forth, while his friend put no effort into moving at all. Regardless of Eren’s lack of enthusiasm, Armin still jumped and dragged Eren along and his infectious smile was starting to get to him.

“You look stupid dancing.”

“You look stupid standing still.”

Eren remained unmoving until Armin noticed his foot moving in beat with the claps in the song. Try as he might to ignore the change in attitude, Armin did nothing to conceal his smile as Eren gradually started bouncing on his heel and moving his hand back and forth. As the song picked up some more, Armin dropped his hand entirely and soon both were jumping like kids around the side of the lake. 

_“Oh don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me! I said your holding back-”_ Armin sung with the song, emphasizing the lyrics further for Eren. Even with the lyric pointed directly at him, Eren managed to lose his reservations and was bouncing as wildly as Armin in beat with the song. 

He would occasionally bump into Armin and shoot his friend a devilish grin, reminding Armin of the Eren he grew up with. The fighter against all odds. Determined not to let his life be dictated by bad luck. Not a defeatist. Not someone who found an excuse for all his troubles. Not someone who blamed others for his unwillingness.

The toothy grin. The energetic movement. The bright life behind the recently dulled turquoise eyes. This was the Eren Jaeger that helped him, rescued him. This was the person Armin grew to admire through junior high and high school.

This was the person who encouraged him when he couldn’t motivate himself.

This was the person who he fell in love with.

And as the song came to a close, Eren was grinning as wide as Armin and laughing at how stupid he felt. “That was dumb.”

“Yeah, but you danced.”

“I did.”

“And?” Armin gestured for him to go on.

“It was dumb.”

“But fun!” Armin announced, Eren continuing to nod in agreement. “Want to do another slow song or do you think you can dance with Annie?”

And like the song, the old Eren perished with his excitement at the mere mention of his crush. Crushed his will, his energy, his being. “I can’t.”

“Not this again. You literally just danced and jumped and nothing happened to your leg. You can dance with Annie.”

“Dude, she’ll know something is wrong with me. There’s a reason I only workout with Mikasa.”

“She won’t know anything is wrong because you dance like a plank of wood in a tornado.”

“Thanks for the motivation.” Eren rolled his eyes.

“Seriously, you never let it _handicap_ you in high school and now you act like it’s ruined your life.”

“That’s because _Titan_ did. I don’t know why you can’t see that!”

“Because you never gave up in high school when you had it then too! You had every reason to give up before but you never did. This is not the Eren I knew!” Armin shouted, finally exasperated with his friend’s attitude. “Now go back to the field and ask your crush to dance with you!”

“She’s not my-” Eren began but stopped midway when he saw Armin’s look of disapproval.

_I said you’re holding back._

“Shut up and go dance with her!” Armin all but ordered.

“Fine.”

Armin watched carefully as his friend walked along the lake, as if he was marching towards his execution instead of going to dance with the person he had been chasing since they were kids. Once he was out of sight, Armin grabbed his phone and turned off the music now that he had tuned it out. He took a few moments to let his emotions settle and followed in Eren’s footsteps, meandering around the lake and into the woods. As he went through the woods, the moonlight speckled the path for him and he almost stumbled into an alcove, if not for the sounds of people making out that he heard and wanted nothing to do with. Especially after he recognized the red dress amid a dying coal fire.

Finding the end of the trail, Armin emerged from the woods and right next to the beer cooler. He ignored it in favor of watching Reiner shotgun a can with one of the fraternity brothers that Armin did not recognize. Despite the copious amount of alcohol Armin knew Reiner could handle, his friend was reaching his limit since he could not even shotgun the beer properly, a skill he prized himself in having.

“You wanna race me, Arlert?” Reiner took notice of Armin’s presence.

“I don’t know how,” Armin admitted, caught off guard by the offer.

“Now those are words I don’t hear every day from you,” Reiner laughed as he ran over to the cooler to fetch some beer. “Time to learn from a professional.”

“Professional alcoholic?”

“Professional beverage connoisseur.”

“I think I’m fine not learning that.” Armin waved his hands in front of himself. In a move Armin never thought he would ever see, Reiner pouted. He actually pouted at his friend’s rejection.

Staring anywhere but Reiner’s face, Armin peered out into the field and saw two people dancing under the pale moonlight. Eren, as rigid as ever, was actually slow dancing with Annie. It brought a twisted smile to his face.

Even from that distance Armin could pick out all the telltale signs that his friend was nervous, they had grown up together essentially after all. Unnaturally straight posture, wide eyes, and more than likely sweating a storm. With all the signs that Eren was probably ready to run away scared, he still managed to keep a smile on his face. Maybe his nerves were getting to him, or he was actually enjoying himself.

But Armin was not.

Sure he was glad his friend overcame his fears, but it just did not sit well with him. It was the sour aftertaste of a sweet liquor, burning his throat the longer it lingered in his vision.

_Don’t you dare look back…_

“On second thought Reiner, teach me.” Armin requested, tearing his gaze away from the pair. 

“Yes! Grab a beer and get over here, young padawan.”

Doing as he was told, Armin retrieved a beer from the slush in the cooler and he stumbled back towards the group of fraternity brothers. He made the mistake of giving one more glance at his best friend, and saw toothy grin on his face as Eren briefly looked in Armin’s direction.

_Shut up and dance with me…_

**Author's Note:**

> Of course I write an Eremin side story during jeanmarco week, but you guys asked this was more fun to write and rewrite than I thought. I tried some new stuff for me in this story so I hope it flowed well enough and the extra imagery is welcomed. Also still working on that whole aversion to the word 'said', so I hope you think its a gradual improvement kilo.
> 
> But yeah Armin is in it really deep with Eren, if the main story didn't show that at all. Here we get to see Legacy from a different dynamic and it was interesting to write Armin since he doesn't have all the snark of Jean. It's also been a while since I wrote some fluff so I hope that went over well. Please tell me what you guys think. 
> 
> As always, all kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! You guys can find me on tumblr under the same name if you want to send me a message or ask any questions, I love interacting with you all!
> 
> And don't worry, this is only the beginning of the relationship, things can only improve from here for the two. But if this side bit shows anything, bumps are going to have to be overcome.


End file.
